August 23, 2012
Police have warned senior citizens to be more vigilant as con artists become increasingly sophisticated at targeting this often vulnerable demographic.
As part of Seniors Week, Det-Supt Brian Hay, from the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group, has issued a warning to this group to be mindful of who they interact with on the internet and the offers and opportunities they sign up for.
“Recent research has shown that older adults may be more prone to deception and fraud and while this is certainly something that causes me concern, it offers a suggestion as to why seniors may represent a larger victim group,” he said.
“It also now raises questions to what we can do to make seniors more resilient to these insidious crimes.
“Con artists, scammers and dodgy business operators know all too well who their target audience is and where they will receive the biggest dividend.
“Seniors are a group who often have access to superannuation funds but who are also new to the internet and a fairly trusting group within the community. For an offender, they are the perfect target.”
Seniors and their susceptibility to online fraud is an area the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group has spent some time researching and investigating.
The group has also developed specific education packages designed to help prevent further loss.
“We see a lot of people who come to us after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars – their entire life savings,” Det-Supt Hay said.
“We also see many people who are too embarrassed to report this type of crime to police. There is this fear they will be subject to an ‘I told you so’ from their family and friends and this is something that must change.
“The community has to become more supportive of victims.”
